Innocence
by Soraki-Chan
Summary: "Eustass Kid has a little sister!" Luffy yelled out. What was unknown to the rookie pirates was how different the little girl was to her older brother and the impact she would make to their lives. Set during Sabaody Archipelago.
1. Chapter 1

Kid awoke to the screams surrounding him. He quickly scanned the room to search for the source, but came up with nothing. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was his own mind that created the dreadful scream. The scream followed him from his nightmare to reality.

Kid sighed as he walked out of his room to the gothic styled deck. The sun had barely pecked the surface of the water. Grumbling to himself, Kid set out to find Killer, his first mate and close friend.

Killer had been reading the newspaper he had bought on the last island. It was a week old but he didn't care. He dropped the paper back on the table when his captain entered.

"Was it that dream again?" Killer asked already knowing his answer.

A nod came from his captain who went to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"I'm sure she's alright. She's related to you after all," Killer replied.

The tense atmosphere led Killer to change the topic.

"It seems that we'll reach Archipelago soon." Killer said.

"Half a day to be exact," Kid responded. Having a Devil Fruit power connected to magnetism had big benefits on the Grandline. Log pose were utterly useless when it came finding Archipelago.

Kid walked back to his room to prepare himself for the hell ride. Archipelago was filled with both pirates and marines, not to mention the World Nobles. Going to his dresser, Kid clipped on his dagger and his personal flintlock gun. Both weapons were given to him by his mother before she sailed out to the Grandline. He stood by the dresser for a while staring at one his most prized possession. A tattered picture stood on top of the dresser. The picture was of a younger Kid with his arms tightly around a young redheaded girl who stood next to Killer. Kid gave off a smirk in the picture while the young girl smiled brightly. Killer looked the same with a polka dotted shirt and signature mask. The picture, dated five years back, was the last picture he took before setting off with Killer to find One Piece.

"Red, how are you doing?"

* * *

><p>The damp floor had woken her up. Her head was in pain and she needed to pee. The last thing remembered was sweeping the floor before falling down. She also noticed that the leather collar she wore was replaced with metal ones. It took sometime to get on her feet with the Kairoseki shackles restraining her, but she somehow managed.<p>

"I'm back here again. . ." She whispered to herself.

"You've been here before?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

She spun around to face the man speaking to her. The old man in glasses gave her a wave. She nodded in response.

"My name is Rayleigh. What's yours?" Rayleigh asked.

"Akane."

"My what a beautiful name. And it fits you so well," Rayleigh laughed. He took a swig from his canteen before giving a small wink to her. Akane couldn't help but giggle at the strange man. Even though he was in an auction house, he made it seem like nothing was wrong.

She wished nothing was wrong.

The doors soon swung open after their chat. A green haired mermaid was dragged in by two bulky guards.

She stared in fascination. This was her first and probably only time to see a mermaid.

"So pretty." Akane couldn't help but admire the beautiful mermaid, she quickly frowned at the sight of the guards shackling her up. The mermaid struggled. She could hear her yelling at the guards. Akane wished she could help, but the Kairoseki shackles were draining her. Instead, the rock next to her would be the solution. But before chucking the rock, the guards just fell.

* * *

><p>The long trip had taken a toll on the Kid pirates and the first thing to always look for on an island was a bar. Bars were the best thing to find after a long trip out at sea. The Kid pirates took their seat in the darkest corners of the unknown bar. Kid flashed a wicked smile as he took a gulp from the rum. The burning sensation the rum gave to Kid's throat was comforting. After settling himself in the chair, he brought out a bag full of beli.<p>

Heat, a man with blue shaggy hair and stitches running across his face had been in charge of gathering up medical supplies, while Killer was in charge of the rations. The rest of the crew would have to find someone to coat their ship. Without the resin from the Yarukiman Mangroves, the crushing depths of the ocean would kill them. Going to the New World required time and skill.

A man in a chinese garb gave Kid an impassive look, which the captain quickly caught.

"What the hell are you staring at?!" Kid yelled, his temper rising rapidly .

The man stuck with his impassive look. Kid stood up, along with the rest of the Kid crew who were all ready for a fight.

"Mr. Eustass, we both know that it is dangerous to cause a bar fight here. So I suggest we finish this in the New World," The impassive man said.

"Che. Fine by me!" Kid spat out as he left the bar. Turning back to his crew, Kid gave the orders of meeting back up at the Human Auction house later in the afternoon.

Akane watched as the number of slaves in the cell dwindled. Rayleigh, a giant, and the mermaid were now the only ones left with her.

"Akane, could you come here for a minute," Rayleigh asked as he finished drinking from his canteen.

Akane slowly limped to the man. It was a poor sight to see. Any man would cringe at the sight of the girl whose body was purple and black from head to toe.

Slowly Rayleigh raised his hand above Akane, making her shuffle backwards.

"I won't hurt you." Rayleigh promised. She nodded as she felt her pain drift away.

"It's called Haki. It can be used for both healing and destruction. I could feel the Haki in you too. I'm sorry, but the bruises are the only things I can't heal.

Even though it was slight like he said, Akane felt much better. She hadn't felt this much kindness given to her in years. The happiness soon died as Disco- the man who was in charge of the Human Auctioning House came to them.

"Well look who we have here again! Akane! This is your third time here isn't it! But all those bruises won't sell you for a high price! Get out here you mutt. You're going to be sold off with the mermaid. Be grateful you're not killed yet." Disco had grabbed Akane by her short red hair, dragging her behind the curtains before heading by himself to the stage.

The Kid pirates stood against the back wall as the Celestial Dragons had passed by.

"That's Captain Kid, from South Blue!" A man announced. He quickly looked away, afraid of what would happen if he stared too long.

"Compared to the "righteous" greed of the rulers, the villains of the world seem much more honorable. When scum rules the world, only more scum is born. At least we're honest about being bad people, right Killer?" Kid said.

"Your right," Killer replied.

"How about we buy anyone who seems interesting?" Kid laughed at the thought of someone interesting enough to buy.

"Chief Kid look at that," Heat said.

Trafalgar Law the 200-million man from North Blue, gave a nod to Kid from his seat.

"Che! His manners are bad," Kid said.

"Today we have an excellent selection of slaves for you all! We've also got a super deluxe item for later in the show! Now on with the biddings!" Disco yelled out, dancing to show his enthusiasm. Kid watched as each slaves were being pulled out and sold off. No one interesting had shown up. All were woman and former pirates. A sudden creak in the door had caught the attention of the Kid pirates.

"Chief, I think that's the Straw Hat crew." Heat said.

"Too bad their captain isn't here. I was hoping to see just how dumb he was myself," Kid replied.

The door opened again to reveal another World Noble. Kid looked at the so called noble. The noble continued to pick his nose while talking about wanting a mermaid. The Straw hat, Heart, and Kid pirates looked away, disgusted by the man.

"T-t-this way to your seat Saint Charlos!" The helper of the auctioning house chattered out as he led the noble down the stairs. The crowd grew silent as Saint Charlos went to take his seat. After his seating, the crowd soon began to cheer as Disco went on with the next slave.

"Now the next slave we are going to bring out is a super deluxe two for one deal!" Disco said as the drums began to roll.

"Countless people have tried to capture one! Have a good look at Keimi, the mermaid!" The crowd went into a cheer as the confused mermaid looked around.

"Che. Nothing interesting. Lets leave," Kid said getting ready to leave the auction house.

"Now! This mermaid also comes with one very special human child! This human child had been bought before having both experience and training! Lets thank the World Nobles for feeding her a mysterious Devil Fruit! Here is Akane!" The crowd roared with excitement as Akane was dragged out by her chains.

"Now let's start with-" Disco was soon cut off by Saint Charlos who bidded five hundred million. Drool ran down Disco's mouth as he tried to form words.

"She's only a child! What is wrong with you all!" The blonde man part of the Straw Hat crew yelled out.

As Kid left the double doors, he looked back to see Killer still in the auction house. Children were sold on the market everyday, why was it so interesting now? Killer gave out a noticeable gasp and he took a step back.

"Oi, Killer what the hell got yo-" Kid stopped mid sentence to see what had shocked Killer.

He recognized the ruby red hair anywhere. Not many people had the same red hair as he did. The girl's long braided hair was now cropped short, but it was definitely her.


	2. Chapter 2

His sister.

That's all he needed to know. Kid's mind raced along to the rhythm of his heart. He needed to crush something. He wanted to kill someone and yell out curse words, but stopped himself when the wall beside him exploded.

"I'm here to save you Keimi!" Luffy yelled as he stomped down the concrete stairs.

Akane's eyes were glued to Luffy. He had an objective and from her view, he would most likely succeed. The man trying to pull him away from the stage stumbled with the Straw Hat captain. The man's jacket had stirred around, letting some extra arms slip out. The crowd yelled out in disgust.

"It's a Fishman! Get out! So ugly!" The nobilities roared out.

Akane stared at the poor Fishman. She understood the pain of being different and hated on. Discrimination didn't only stop with merfolks and fishmen.

* * *

><p>"You better fucking let go Killer!" Kid yelled out. Killer held a tight grip around Kid's wrist.<p>

"Kid, please calm down! I know that you're angry. I am too, but the nobles are here. Take your anger out on them later. Now isn't the time." Kid settled down a bit. He glanced at the red haired girl and the Straw Hat captain. A plan quickly forming in his mind.

"On my say we will take the girl. If anyone gets in the way, kill them. And I mean anyone," Kid said.

There had been no question or curiosity from the crew. Whatever Kid said was law. No screwing around while under order.

The Kid pirates patiently waited for the signal to be passed by their captain.

Taking a few deep breathes, Kid waited until the first shot was fired at the Fishman. Followed by Luffy punching Saint Charloss in the face, sending him crashing a few meters away.

"Now, Kid pirates." Kid commanded.

The Kid pirates quickly separated, all going different directions. Kid calmly walked through the fresh battlefield. People scrambled out of their seats to get out. Some even crushing the fallen as they left.

One by one the guards were knocked down, sliced, and killed. He noticed Luffy punching his way down. The Straw Hat captain did not kill any one of them, but Kid had made sure to kill anyone between him and the stage.

Slowly making his way down, Luffy had noticed the young girl by the mermaid. Her hair, red as the setting sun and her deep brown eyes that somehow reminded him of chocolate made Luffy hungry.

"After this we need to eat!"

* * *

><p>Akane saw that the noblewoman approaching them. In the condition they were in, they were too weak to fight back. As the woman got closer, Akane noticed that the kairoseki keys jingling from her waist. She only needed one good jump. One jump could free her of the cuffs and give her enough time to disarm the noble. One chance was all she needed. Akane readied herself as the noble held the gun to Keimi's glass bowl. She took the jump towards the noble making the noble stumble onto the floor. Akane ripped the keys from the noble's waistband and began unlocking the kairoseki shackles. The noble however, got up quicker than Akane. The shackles unlocked as the noble made her shot. Akane gave the noble a look of disgust, never taking her eyes off the woman as the trigger went off. The shot had silenced the war room. She didn't feel any pain from the bullet. Instead, a blow through the wall from Rayleigh had knocked the noblewoman out. For a moment, Akane thought the bullet was floating in the air. The battle had completely stopped as the Straw Hat and Kid pirates stared at the man. Akane had given the man one of her enchanting smiles. Nothing would be able to stop her from smiling.<p>

"Akane, I wish we could meet under better circumstances." Rayleigh had given her a smile before coming down to her level. He would need to take off the collar before it exploded.

"Don't touch her!" Kid roared out.

Rayleigh had given Akane a questioning look. She gave a look of indifference before concentrating on the voice. She knew the voice. Akane stood up and squinted in the direction of the voice. The lights were blinding her, though she could see the figure approaching fast. He was a lot bigger now. No, he was much taller and muscular. Akane wished that she could cry, but crying scared her at the same time. She knew that he would ask questions. He was always the overprotective type. Akane just wished that this wasn't a dream and that she wouldn't wake up to the cold concrete floors. If it was, then she would take all the advantages of it. Akane slowly limped towards her brother. She was caught off guard as he ran towards her gripping her in a massive hug. The hug felt nice. How long was it since she last had a hug? Her memories of the tattooed man came into mind. His hugs were warm and welcoming. The hug she received from Kid was one that never lost its grip. She could feel Kid's heartbeat racing. This was real. He was real, and so was becoming free.

The puff of smoke caught him off guard. Kid covered Akane with his fur coat as the smoke lifted. The mermaid had been free from her collar. At the same time Kid noticed Franky, the cyborg of the Straw Hat coming in with a pair of keys.

"What the hell? Scaring me like that! I thought I was too late!" Franky yelled out.

With the flick of his wrist, Kid snagged the keys away.

"What the hell was that for!" Franky yelled out. Kid was too busy unlocking the collar off of Akane and throwing it across the room. Her neck wasn't red like the mermaids, but scarring. The collar had been on her for a long time.

Kid was pissed. He was pissed at the fact they his sister was hurt, pissed at whoever did this to her, and pissed that he wasn't there for her. Kid looked down at Akane to see her giving him a big smile.

"Who is she to you?" Rayleigh questioned. He wasn't ready to trust the red headed man.

"She's my sister," Kid replied.

"Even that scary guy has a sister? Amazing!" Luffy yelled out.

Akane peeked out of the furry coat to give a smile out to Luffy. Akane liked Luffy. From the stories she heard in the kitchens, he was one strong pirate who would do anything for his nakama.

Luffy gave her a wide grin. The anger that was building up in him had disappeared. Keimi was safe, his friends were okay and it was almost time for dinner.

The peace had not lasted long. The pirates heard the approaching marines threatening them to come out.

"Straw hat, they are my kill so back off," Kid said as he started up the stairs with Akane in his arms.

"This is my fight also, Eustass," Law said as he too started for the door.

"No way! I'm coming too!" Luffy yelled running up the stairway. The scene was amusing to Akane, like three bickering brother's racing towards the exit.

The light at the end of the entrance blinded Akane for a minute, but soon her eyes adjusted. Hundreds of marines surrounded the three captains. It was intimidating to say the least.

Kid had placed Akane behind him. She peeked through to see the marines getting ready to fire. Soon the first cannon fired its way towards Kid. Akane tried to pull Kid out of the way by tugging on his coat. Unfortunately, trying to move Kid was like trying to push a house. She closed her eyes waiting for the impact. Seconds passed and nothing changed. Slowly opening her eyes, Akane noticed the cannon ball hovering in front of her brother. With the flick of his wrist, the cannonball shot back at the marines


	3. Chapter 3

Akane gasped as she saw several marines being taken down by the flick of her brother's wrist. She knew that he had eaten a fruit but what fruit her brother ate to make him so powerful was still a mystery. Asking him would have to wait till later.

"Che! Look what I can do Akane!" Luffy yelled as he too took out several marines with his rubber arms.

"Oi, Straw hat stop trying to impress my sister!" Kid had said while tossing around the marines.

"Hey! I'm more interesting!" Luffy yelled back.

Both pirate captains had used just their arms to take out half the army in order to impress the little red haired girl. As both looked behind them, Akane had gone missing. Both searched and found Akane, who currently stood with wide eyes at the Heart pirates captain, who was currently entertaining the little girl with human body parts.

"A-he heaheaha! I guess we both got beat by someone else!" Luffy yelled out, jumping into the group of marines. Kid glared at Law while going back to his own fight.

Akane was entertained with the show in front of her. Captain Law was very nice and even allowed her to touch Bepo.

"You talk! Amazing!" Akane yelled out while sitting on Bepo's shoulder. Bepo in return apologized, something he had done often when people realized that he was a talking bear. From her new view, Akane saw that more marines were headed in their direction. The battle was going nowhere.

"Brother, I think we should go. There are too many of them!" Akane shouted.

Kid had nodded in agreement and started to call the Kid pirates to return. Akane watched Kid jog towards her when she saw the wave of light passing in front of her. Bepo jumped back with Akane on his shoulder as the beam of light dissipated.

"Bepo, get her to the sub! We need to leave immediately, it seems that we have a Shichibukai present." Law pointed out. The figure emerged from the forest while trying to find its last target. Akane searched and found Kid knocked down by Killer who had pushed him from getting hit by the light.

"Yes captain!" Bepo was speeding off with Akane in his arms when the Shichibukai turned to shoot them with his laser. Bepo had dodged swiftly as the laser passed them. Akane stared long and hard at the Shichibukai trying to remember where she saw him from.

"Stop!" Akane yelled out.

The bear quickly halted mid sprint to look at the little girl.

"What's wrong?" He questioned.

Getting off of Bepo, Akane ran back to Law. The ache in her legs told her to stop, but it would need to wait until later.

"What are you doing? Get back!" Law screamed at the girl.

"Trust me!" Was all he had heard before the redhead had stood in front of him. Her arms were wide open to the shichibukai.

She stood strong with her arms held out wide and eyes on the shichibukai.

What had surprised him the most was the shichibukai. The shichibukai had gotten on his knees and reached out for the girl.

"Kuma-kuma. Remember me? Can you send the doctor a message for me? Can you tell him that I'm okay now. That I found my brother!" She asked the shichibukai.

"What is going on captain! I don't understand!" Bepo whispered.

He didn't know what to say. All he could do was watch as the shichibukai turned and walked away.

* * *

><p>Kid had gotten up slowly as he tried to remember what had happened. The light had almost killed him if it wasn't for his first mate.<p>

"Kid, wake up." Killer said.

With the help of his first mate, Kid was on his feet again.

"Where's my sister?" He asked.

"You should not worry so much, Bepo is bringing Akane back to my submarine." Law explained.

"And why the hell is she going to your ship?"

The response Kid gave was no surprise to Law but nonetheless still annoying.

"Your sister has many wounds that I can heal. Would you rather have her die?" Law knew that the wounds wouldn't kill Akane but Kid didn't. Kid glared at the pirate before speeding up to catch up with the bear.

* * *

><p>Akane had started to doze off in the warm arms of Bepo. Her head had nodded up and down, soon losing her battle against sleep.<p>

Bepo chuckled at the little girl. He was still trying to figure out how the little girl was related to the infamous Eustass Kid. He had heard stories of when Kid went through a village, slaughtering anyone in his way. Bepo shrugged the thought off while jumping into the open submarine. He jumped to the bottom which had made the ship carelessly rock back and forth. Bepo had went through the long hallway until he found the vacant medical room. He settled Akane onto the bed while leaving to go collect supplies in the other room Law would need when he would treat Akane.

Bepo was rummaging through the medical cabinets when his captain and Kid entered the submarine.

"Bepo, lead us to Akane."

"Yes captain!" Bepo yelled out while running towards the end of the hall with his arms still filled with supplies.

Law and Kid had followed in their own pace, Kid leading with a slightly faster step.

"Before we go in I must tell you that Akane is not in the best of conditions. I will be evaluating her and questioning her. You must not let your temper get the best you." Law warned.

Kid had grunted in agreement while opening the door.

Akane had awoken when Bepo entered. He had tripped on the bandages that fell from his arms causing laughter to abrupt from the little girl. He sat down next to Akane when Kid and Law entered. Akane watched as Kid took the seat at the desk farthest away from Akane. She was about to call out to her brother until Law sat down next to her.

"Akane, I need to clean up your wounds and after I will be asking you some questions. Is that okay with you?" Law asked. His tone was very gentle, in a way that one would not suspect him of being a pirate.

Akane nodded and gave a small smile to the doctor. Law had gently peeled off the dirty blue shirt Akane had worn that barely clung to her. Her tank top had been dried with blood. The question now was whose blood. Lifting the top up to reveal her stomach had caused Law to cringe. The dried blood was not hers, but her skin had shown multiple bruises, scarrings, and other terms he didn't want to think about. She was so skinny, unnatural for her age. The closer Law inspected the more he learned about Akane. Cigar burns dotted her palms while one large intricate incision scar ran across her stomach. The two were very different than what he expected. One person had purposefully made the burns and bruises for their own entertainment and one person had been trying to obtain information.

Two different people, two very different motives.

Law had turned Akane to inspect her back. A clear symbol was branded on her skin, the Hoof of the Flying Dragons. A symbol that was put onto slaves of the Celestial Dragons. Brands had been made to also identify the owners in case of slaves running away.

Any decent pirate wouldn't sink so low.

Kid could not take it anymore. He stood up and quickly left the room.

"Is that what I think it is captain?" Bepo questioned. A massive frown was shown on the bears face as he too inspected the girl.

Law had only gave a nod before damping ointment for her scars. Soon he had Akane all wrapped up. Physical wounds were one thing, but mental wounds were too different. This was going to be a long recovery process for the girl.

"Thank you." She politely said.

Akane gave a large smile to the captain. The captain gave a small smile in return.

"Akane, could you tell me how you got all these wounds?" Law asked softly.

Akane avoided eye contact with Law, afraid of answering the question. Instead, Akane gave the captain another one of her unnatural smiles. Something the slaves practiced to use against their owners.

"That's okay. You can tell me later. For now Bepo will bring you to the kitchen for some food and be sure to sleep after that." Law had said as he left the room.

Kid had stood right outside the doorway, eyes never wandering away from the door. Law knew that the red headed captain would ask questions.

"If only life was as simple as getting from point A to point B." Law thought.

"What the fuck did they do to her?" The angry captain asked.


	4. Chapter 4

"This is a question that we cannot answer right now. Akane is hurt and will be under my care until she wants to leave." Law said. The doctor part of him had began to show.

"No way. I will be taking my sister with me. We are leaving now." Kid said as he started to walk towards the end of the hall.

"We first need to help out the Strawhats. We are the ones that left them there. It would be cowardly to run away." Law egged on.

Kid pondered at the thought. With a sigh, Kid headed up the latter followed by the Law pirates.

Kid pirates never left with a debt.

* * *

><p>Bepo had led Akane into the galley. He pulled out a chair for the girl as he started to fill a bowl with the leftover porridge. Akane had sat down in the open chair while checking her surroundings. The kitchen was big and very clean. The floors did not have cracks, and windows were placed on all sides of the walls. It made her heart sigh with relief with the sight. The setting sun seeping through the windows lightly heated her pale skin.<p>

"Please eat this." Bepo said as he slid the porridge and spoon towards Akane. Akane had hesitated in picking up the spoon. Her hands shook trying to figure out the use of the spoon. Eating with your hands had been faster and more effective. She remembered how utensils were never given to level one slaves. Bepo had noticed the struggle the Akane had with the spoon. He had taken the spoon from her and imitated how a spoon was used. Akane copied the bears way of eating. Quickly she dug in.

Bepo was amazed at the speed she ate at. The food had been devoured in less than five minutes.

"Would you like more?" Bepo asked.

Akane had been unsure of the question asked to her. Her stomach had still been hungry but the fear had told her that she had enough. Akane nodded a no.

"Thank you. I had enough the eat." Akane said as she picked up her bowl to the high sink. She attempted to wash the dish while balancing on the tip of her toes. Bepo got up and pulled the girl away from the dish.

"You are a patient. I will do the dishes!" Bepo said while smiling at her. "You know your way back to the room right? I will be there in a couple of minutes. You should go there first." Bepo said to the girl.

Akane gave the bear a smile as she began to walk back to the room. The floors had been cold under her bare feet. But the feeling had been better than a cage. As she entered the room, Akane thought about her brother. Still wondering if he had been her imagination. She started to fix the bed when the face of the doctor came into her mind. He had been so kind unlike many of the other doctors that she met. Doctor Law and the doctor with the striped shirt had been the kindest. With her mind wandering, she started to tidy up the room.

"Are they here to take me too?"

* * *

><p>Both pirate captains had been slightly startled with what was in front of them. The Strawhat captain slept peacefully on the beach ground while the woman with orange hair attempted to wake him up.<p>

"It seems that we are late to the party." Law laughed out.

"Che. Then I'm going back." Kid stated turning back.

"Wait a moment Eustass." Law said as he approached the most level headed person in the Strawhat crew.

"Excuse me, but what had happened to the marines?" Law questioned to the dark haired woman.

"My captain had too much fun with the marines. They have fled for now. The shichibukai are also gone."

Law nodded as he went towards the sleeping captain. He questioned what the talking reindeer had been doing as he approached. He saw the blue nosed reindeer putting a cloth to the captains nose who sprung back up with life.

"What was that! So gross! My nose! It stinks!" Luffy yelled as he ran around trying to escape the smell.

"Smelling salts. How resourceful ." Law commented.

"It was nothing you bastard~" Chopper yelled out with a blush. Unable to take in the complement.

"Who are you again?" Luffy yelled out from behind the tree, trying to smell anything else but the salt.

"I am Law, captain of the Heart Pirates. And the man over there is Eustass Kid, captain of the Kid pirates." Law pointed out to everyone.

"Enough with the introductions, why did you call me out here!" Kid yelled out.

The three pirate crews had circled around the three captains. Questioning what was going to happen next.

"I am here to give a proposition. We are all to share this island until our ships are coated. Even longer if we want to survive the New World. This cannot happen if we are to fight each other. For the time that we are here, we are to not fight each other. But in the New World, this agreement no longer applies. For now I call a truce between the Strawhat, Kid, and Heart pirates." Law explained.

Kid had thought about the offer. Wanting the easiest way into the New World.

"Naw! If you get in my way, then I can just hurt you guys!" Luffy said, picking his nose.

"Dumbass! We should take this offer!" Nami yelled out.

"I must agree with Nami on this. But the choice is yours Luffy." Robin added.

"Whatever Robin Swan and Nami Chwan~ decides! I shall happily follow!" Sanji yelled out.

"Stupid cook." Zoro muttered.

"What the hell did you say?" Sanji countered.

"Everybody shut up." Kid yelled out. The constant yelling got to Kid as he deliberated on the decision. The pirates were soon silenced, each thinking about the decision.

"Hm. Well Robin, you are smarter than Nami! So I guess I agree to this!" Luffy said with the big grin on his face.

"Hey! Are you calling me stupid?" Nami yelled. With a fistful of fur Nami threw Chopper at Luffy.

"Nami! I can't fly!" Chopper yelled out as he flew towards the Strawhat captain.

"Idiots!" Usopp yelled.

The room had been wiped clean when Akane finished. She sat in silence as she tried to recall what had happened. As she silently thought to herself, Bepo had entered the room. He was slightly upset at the clean room. He stared at Akane who had stood up right away. His heart clenched as he noticed the red markings over Akane's legs.. She had been kneeling so much to clean the room.

"Akane, you are a patient. So you don't need to clean the room." Bepo sternly said.

Akane looked down, believing that she had done something wrong.

"It's okay! Everybody makes mistakes! Now time to go to bed!" Bepo childishly yelled out while going low to swoop Akane off her feet. A small giggle came from the Akane as she was tucked under the bedsheets. Akane had felt comfortable in the large bed. Sleepiness soon overtook her. Bepo was washed with relief as the tension he saw in her face melt away. The bear soon left the room and headed out of the submarines to look for his captain.


	5. Chapter 5

The sound of heavy footsteps woke Akane up. She rubbed her eyes trying to adjust to the dark room. Her hands felt the heavy blanket on her. It felt so different compared to the sheets that were given to her in the castle. She wrapped herself in the blankets tightly, keeping in the warmth.

"Good to see you're up, Red." Came the voice from the far corner.

Akane squinted her eyes trying to make out the form sitting down. She smiled happily as she saw the silhouette of her brother. She slid off the bed before running towards her brother. His arms scooped her up holding her tightly. It was silent for awhile. Both choosing not to ask questions, but to enjoy the reunion. Kid brought Akane down onto the sofa. Placing her next to him. She had started to fidget with large shirt she was in.

"Red, what happened?" Kid asked placing a comforting arm around the little girl. Even he was patient enough to wait for her to respond.

She didn't respond right away. Trying to think of the right words to say without angering her brother. She scooted closer to her brother. Leaning her head against him.

"W-when you left the island, marines came. Looking for orphans to take in. I told them I had a family. They didn't believe me. They gave the villagers lots of money. And they took me away." Her breathing staggered as she tried to continue. "Then the nice doctor with the striped shirt took me away. The pain in my tummy is gone! But a rich man gave the nice doctor a lot of money for me and some fruits. The rich man forced me to eat the bad fruit. And strange things started to happen. He would sometimes put me in a clear tub. I couldn't move. I started to sink in the water. People would come and watch. And now I can do things I wasn't able to before." She explained.

He didn't know what to say. Five years worth of pain and torment was something he couldn't heal. He couldn't heal anyone. Healing didn't matter, he could hurt the ones who hurt his sister. He would use pain.

"Show me." Kid stated.

"I need to go outside to do the stuff." Kid nodded and led Akane back up towards the beach.

* * *

><p>"Was it wise to let her go like that Captain?" Bepo asked.<p>

"She'll be back." Law said to Bepo as he met up with the Strawhat captain once more.

The Strawhat crew had settled down next to the Heart pirates. Both captains deep in their conversation with each other.

"Do you think it's wise to trust them?" Zoro asked Nami.

Nami had been rubbing her neck from the sore night of throwing her captain around. She had stayed silent. Not knowing the answer. They needed all the alliances they could get. It was a gamble to take.

"Oi! Kid! Over here! Come eat with us!" Luffy yelled over. Both crews looked over to barely make out the head of the girl who was behind the intimidating Captain Kid. She shyly waved at Luffy who gave her his signature smile.

Kid had ignored both captains at the table. Though they could see the little girl trying to talk him over to the table. He sighed giving in. She used her tiny hands to drag him over.

"Akane! Taste this leg! It's sooooo good!" Luffy said placing the large chicken leg into her arms. She tipped over losing her balance to the leg. Kid grabbed the leg placing it on the table, giving a glare towards the other captain.

"It's good to see you out Akane. How are you feeling?" Law asked.

"Much better thank you." She replied.

"Those bastards gave her a Devil Fruit." Kid stated. He sat on the bench across from the two captains. Both pausing in their current action. Both crews went silent trying to hear the rest of the conversation.

"I had a feeling she had eaten one. This explains the seastone cuffs that were on her." Law explained. He went around to Akane. Getting on his knees to make eye contact with the girl.

"Could you show us?" Akane gave a slight nod. She wasn't sure herself if this would work.

She walked a few steps forward, making room between her and the sitting crews.

The two crews went silent as they watched Akane placed her feet firmly into the sand. Going into a firm stance. She raised both her arms at the sitting crew.

**"Lift."**

The sand below them had started to swivel as Akane closed her eyes, concentrating on the crew. The benches holding the crew members were pushed a few inches in the air. The sand holding them firmly in place. Akane gave a grunt before letting them down softly.

"S-she just! Lifted! The air around- we floated!" Ussop was left speechless pointing at Akane.

"She can manipulate sand." Kid stated.

"Not sand. Crocodile still has that power." Robin revealed.

Picking up the smooth rock sitting on the sand, Akane easily crushed it in her hands. The fine dust resting on her palms soon reformed back into a smooth rock.

"No, she's manipulating the mineral." Law explained.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been frightening to see such power in a little girl. Such a rare and disgusting gift forced onto her. Kid watched as Akane drop the smooth rock. Her breathing was heavy and a layer of sweat had formed on her forehead. She was still very weak. Something he would help her fix.

"It seems that she is a logia user. And a very powerful one at that. Such a rare fruit to consume." Law had saw potential in the little girl, and the show she had performed was plenty of evidence. He had lightly tossed a small towel to the red haired girl who gladly caught it.

"Woah! What's a logia?" Luffy said as he stuffed another chicken leg into his mouth.

"Did you do any research on the different devil fruits before you became a pirate?" Nami responded.

"Nope!" Luffy answered back.

Nami sighed as Law began to explain.

"Logia is one of three different types of devil fruits. The other two being zoan and paramecia. Paramecia being the most common of the three fruits, allow the user to have superhuman powers. You, Miss Robin, Captain Kid, and I would be under this category. Zoan is the second common type of fruit that allows the user to transform into another species or hybrid form. This is what doctor Chopper would be under. And lastly is the Logia fruit. The most rarest fruit in the sea. It gives the user the ability to turn into a natural element or force of nature. In this case, Akane would be under this with her mineral technique. Though I do not fully understand her power, researching and testing her will give me a better idea. Do you understand now?" Law asked.

Luffy gave a large grin before answering the other captain, "Nope!"

"You really are an idiot aren't you?" Kid said as he went towards the shore line where Akane was near. Her knees had been tucked under her chin as her toes slightly touched the moving water.

Kid knew she had heard the conversation between the captains. She wasn't a dumb girl. A hefty gift was forced onto her. It would be her choice in whether or not to grow stronger or die weak. He certainly was not going to let her die.

"You know you shouldn't be near the shore." Kid commented as he sat next to her.

She gave a small smile to the older sibling as she brought herself closer to him.

"I like the water. It's so peaceful here."

"You sound like an old women."

Kid didn't know how to respond to her. After what had happened to her, she acted as if it had never happened. It angered the captain to see her be so happy with so little. It was his job to give her everything and anything. It was his job to find out who had done this and kill whoever was involved. The thought of bloodshed had excited him. It had been a while since he had caused havoc.

The table where the rest of the crew sat at shook with a great force as the forks and spoons slipped off the table. Law glanced at Kid who hands were dug deep in the sand.

"Captain Kid, I suggest you keep that temper in check." Law stated going back to his conversation with Chopper.

Kid quickly glanced over to the three pirate crews who now were picking up the fallen objects. He had let his mind wander as he slightly lost control of his power. Brushing the sand off his hands, Kid stood back up. He looked back down towards Akane who was consciously rubbing her bandaged neck.

"We gotta get you some clothes." Kid said. Akane looked back down at the outfit she was wearing. Was the clothes she was wearing not enough? She had new pants and a shirt now. Enough to last her quite a while.

"I'm fine." Akane responded as they both walked back to the group.

"One pair of clothes will not do. Do you like what you are wearing?" Kid said. He looked back down towards his sister who looked like she was actually thinking of an answer to his rhetorical question.

"I like it. I'm warm and covered." Akane answered simply.

Kid took a deep breath as he took in the answer.

"That's not a sufficient answer. Killer and I still need to look for food for the stay here, so we might as well look for new clothing for you." The answer seemed final as Akane didn't object to the order.

The Kid pirates had decided to shop at Area 42. The area had been popular among the younger girls who had the money to spend. The bubble carriage had only been half way filled with food and supplies, giving enough space for anything Akane had wanted.

"Go on. Pick a store." Kid said as he nudged her off the bubble.

Akane looked at Kid before looking at the stores around her. She truly didn't understand why there were so many stores. Was one store not enough? All the people made her head dizzy as she concentrated.

"I don't know." Akane said.

Killer looked at Kid who now was quiet. It was never good when he was quiet.

Kid took Akane to the nearest store as Killer stayed behind to watch the supplies.

The store they had entered was just what Kid had been looking for. He brought Akane to the kids clothing section that had plenty to choose from.

"Choose whatever you want." Kid said. He watched as Akane slowly went to the racks. He was observing the way she looked at everything. She would look in awe at the clothing before feeling the material. She would ignore the pastels and patterned clothing. Going straight to the clothing that were neutral and hefty. This was the opposite of what he remembered. Their mother would often make her clothing with something bright and heavily pattern. Usually a t-shirt with a matching skirt. Something Akane would always show off to him right after their mother finished it. The Akane in front of him was critically thinking of the clothing she would wear. As if it was life or death. She came back to him ten minutes later with three of the same t-shirts that look three sizes too big on her and a thick pair of grey pants.

"Is this what you really want?" Kid questioned.

"Yes." Akane quickly responded.

Three T-shirts and a pair of pants. Bullshit.

"Go back and pick out ten different shirts and pants that you like. And anything else you find pretty. This is not a suggestion Red." Kid said as he went to sit down on the stool near the entrance. He grinned as he saw her putting away the shirts and pants.

30 minutes passed as Akane came back with a bundle of clothing in her small arms. They were still neutral in color, but at least some of them had some different prints. Kid effortlessly scooped the bundle off of her, putting it on the counter. The cashier eyed the bag of beli with greed as Kid threw down a couple of bills. Kid grabbed the bags with one hand while his other was tightly gripped with two smaller hands.

The sight was strange to say the least. Killer smirked under his mask as he saw Kid approaching with Akane in tow. It would've been intimidating to see Kid walking down the street if it wasn't for Akane, who hands clung onto his. She had barely reached his mid thigh which gave off a comical look. It still disturbed him on how tiny she still was. Malnutrition did not do this to a child. Something else had kept her this small and unaged. She was skinnier that was certain, but her face stayed the same since the day they left for Grand Line. He shook the thought away as Akane approached him. She gave him a gentle smile as she hopped onto of the carriage with the help of Kid.

It was a strange new start for Kid and a fresh beginning for the Kid pirates. The new addition to the crew would be a struggle to understand. A child had no place on a pirate ship. There was a sadistic behavior that Akane would eventually see. A side of Kid that she had never seen. He didn't like thinking of her reaction to the new him. He was suppose to protect her. Not let her fear him for the rest of her life. Their father raised him right.

Kid sighed as he thought about plans that would help Akane readjust to this sort of life. A life of a pirate. He glanced at his sister who now had her eyes closed to the world, her hands still gripping onto his. Such a peaceful and warm look. There was no denial that raising her would be hard. But for some reason, everything felt at ease.


	7. Chapter 7

Every morning Akane had followed the same pattern as the day before. She first started the morning by attempting to get out of the large bed. It would've been easy, if it wasn't for the large arm that held her in place. Even though Akane was given her own room, Kid would always find her sleeping in his bed. After a few nights of this pattern, he made sure to leave extra pillows and blankets for the little girl.

Using squiggly movements, Akane successfully got out of the bed. It was still early in the morning when Akane prepared the breakfast meal for the crew. Kid had told her that it wasn't her job but the cooking had been her comfort. Cooking duty at the palace was one of the more prestigious jobs that was earned by level 3 slaves. Years of scrubbing the floors and entertaining the guests had given her the morning chore. She checked on Kid before leaving the ship. She would always check up on the room. He would always be there sleeping in the same dark furry bed. She wanted to join the comfy looking bed but brushed the idea off as she went outside. Akane didn't leave too far. She was told by Kid to stay in his windows view.

It was fun to play in the sand. The warmth it gave out warmed her feet. And the voices... The sand and rocks had spoken out to her. She felt the pulses it gently gave out. And the days recovering from the shackles had greatly increased her senses. The whispers from the minerals soon turned into voices. They had been soothing unlike the voices in the palace.

_"You listen to me and me only! I am your master! And you are servant! You are not a person. You are an item that belongs to me._"

Akane shook the voice out of her head as she continued her walk in the sand. She knew she was a person. She felt her heart beating and she felt pain like everyone else. And even staying under his cruel hands, she never forgot that. It was impossible to forget his face. The man in the funny suit and weird glass helmet. It angered her to think about him. Never again.

The thought of him soon disappeared as she brought the sand into hands. It swirled around her hand before dropping to the ground. With the flick of her wrist, the sand harden into a block. It took little movement from her fingers to create little boxed arms and legs to match.

"Walk." Akane whispered.

It took her by surprise as the little sand soldier took her command. With a little more effort three more sand soldiers had started to walk.

"Now dance please." Akane asked.

A satisfied grin settled on Akane's face as she extended her arm to the sand soldiers. The sand soldiers leapt happily onto her shoulder as she danced with them.

"Woah! That's awesome! Usopp! Chopper! Do you see that!" Luffy yelled out as he ran up to the girl.

"Wow! Is this part of your power?" Chopper curiously asked.

Akane backed up quickly from the voices as the sand soldiers dropped down in front of her. Two turning back into sand. It was unexpected to be so loud this early in the morning. Maybe they were early risers as she was.

She nodded quickly as she brushed off the sand from her shirt.

"Can I touch it?" Luffy questioned. Akane gave a quick nod of approval. She glanced down to see the sand soldier hiding behind her.

"Don't be shy say hi." Akane said. The soldier gave no response.

Akane shook her head as she lightly pushed him forward.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Luffy! Soon to be king of the pirates!" Luffy happily said.

"Yeah! He's gonna be king soon!" Chopper responded.

"You know, I once was almost king of the pirates! Really I was. They called me Captain Usopp! King of the Sea Cows!" Usopp said.

"REALLY?!" Chopper yelled out.

"Yes!"

"Amazing!"

The sand soldier gave a confused look at Akane before bringing out his arm to Luffy.

"What's he doing?" Luffy question.

"He wants to shake your hand." Akane responded.

She grinned as she saw Luffy extending his index finger to greet the soldier.

"Woah! This is so cool! Chopper let's go wake the others and tell them! I think they'll poop their pants!" Luffy shouted out as he ran back to the ship.

"I'll see you later Akane! We can talk and eat in a little bit! Sanji makes the best tangerine cake ever!"

Akane waved back to the trio as she continued her way back to the boat.

"You need a name." Akane said to the sand soldier who sat back down on Akane's shoulder.

"How about Captain?" He shook his head in approval.

"I like that name very much too." Akane said.

The light from under the galley doors alerted Akane as she entered the ship. It meant that Kid and Killer were awake. Heat and Wire didn't wake until later in the morning. Peeking her head through the door, Akane observed Kid who had been eating the breakfast she made.

"It's irritating when you do that. Come in and sit down." Kid said as he went back for seconds.

She took the seat right across from Kid with Killer to her left.

"Ah. What's this?" Killer asked pointing at Captain.

"This is Captain. Say hi Captain." Captain gave a quick head nod to the masked man who in return have a head nod of his own before leaving the room.

"Eh? Captain? Where did he come from?" Kid questioned as started eating.

Akane grinned happily at Kid, "I made him."

Kid watched as Captain dragged his breakfast away from him. Placing it next to Akane.

A small giggle came from the girl who dug into the meal the half eaten meal. Kid couldn't help but smirk at Captain. He had been slightly annoyed at the fact that she named him after his nickname. He had been called Captain as a child by both Akane and Killer.

"It seems that my patient is doing much better today."

Kid kept his eyes on Akane already knowing who entered his ship.

"You should know better than to enter another pirate's ship without their permission Law." Kid replied as Akane went to greet the guest.

"Good morning doctor! Did you eat yet? Would you like breakfast?" Akane eagerly asked.

Law couldn't help but smile at the red headed girl who was already getting a plate ready before he could answer.

"Thank you, I would love some. And Eustass there seems to be new development with the Celestial Dragons." Law explained as he took the seat next to Akane.

The room became quiet at the mention of the of the Celestial Dragons. The quiet humming coming from the girl quickly disappeared. Both captains stared at Akane who pretended not to notice the conversation. She gave Law his plate before returning to her dish.

Law ate slowly as he watched Captain come up to him.

"This is Captain. He's my friend." Akane explained as Captain extended his box shaped arm.

"Nice to meet you." Law said as he shook the arm.

It was unnerving to Law to see Captain. He wanted to know how he was moving on his own. He wanted to dissect the creature but decided against it. He would have to ask Akane later.

"I'm going to kill them tonight." Kid bluntly announced.

Akane quickly turned to face Kid. She hoped she had heard wrong.

"I had been hoping you would say that. It seems that Strawhat caused panic through the island. Most of the marines are gone and the Celestial Dragons are left unprotected." Law explained.

"I've been itching for a fight. Killer and I will handle this." Kid said as he unconsciously patted Akane on the head.

"And my crew and I will be accompanying you tonight as well."

"The hell you guys will! They are my prey tonight!" Kid yelled out.

"Oh I will not be killing them. Some of the highest grade medicine is located in the palace. Medicine that can help Akane heal faster. Do you want her to never get better?" Law casually said.

"Damn it! You're doing that thing again! Screw you!"

"What thing? Oh, so you don't want her to get better?" Law questioned.

Akane couldn't but give the two an uneasy look.

"Don't go." Akane quietly said.

"What?" Both said.

"Please don't go. They are bad. They hurt people. Please don't go." Akane begged.

Kid looked down at Akane. Her little hands were balled up. But she wasn't crying.

Cry baby Red was something he always called her. Little things such as the Den Den Snails had scared her. It bothered him to see Akane hold in her feelings. It wasn't natural. Kids should be expressing themselves, he sure did at that age.

Kid swiftly went to pick up Akane, holding onto her arm tightly.

She in return gripped onto his fur coat.

"This is why I need to kill them Red. They hurt you. And I wasn't there to protect you. I'm here now." Kid explained.

"They did. But I had someone help me... I gotta return the favor to him one day. I promised."

Kid looked down at Akane.

Him?

Law observed the man in front of him. He had heard stories about the Kid pirates. Ruthless and willing to kill anyone who stood in their path. The violent, fearless, and very cruel leader was showing compassion.

"His name is Portgas D. Ace." Law stated.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the very late update!~ I ended up editing all the chapters! So before reading this chapter, make sure to read the edited ones! It isn't necessary, but it can help you understand better :D Thank you guys for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. I do value them! **

* * *

><p>That was his name! She remembered the tattooed man now. His warm hugs and happy laughs were unforgettable. He had given her ice cream and cookies.<p>

"And how the hell do you know Fire Fist?" Kid questioned. "And how the hell did you find this out?!"

Law simply shrugged.

"He helped me a long time ago. He stopped the rich man from hurting me. I spilled a drink on the rich man because the table was too big. And he was going to push the button on the bomb collar. But then his hand was on fire! Mr. Ace told him that he would bring me back later and we left to the ice cream shop." She remembered seeing him sleep on the bar table. The fearlessness he showed as he walked out with her was memorable.

"I read the article on that. One of Whitebeard's sons going out to save a little girl. And how Saint Mjosgard did nothing to bring his slave back." Law said.

She froze at the mentioned name. The warm feeling drained from her body, only leaving the cold to enter.

Why was it so cold?

"Was it this Mjuosgard who did this to you?" Kid questioned.

Akane couldn't answer. She wouldn't answer. Instead she put her attention to her hat, fidgeting with the braided ends.

_You are no human. Just because a powerful pirate showed you pity means nothing! You are nothing filth. Don't breath my air!_

"Was he the one who did this? Answer me!" Kid yelled.

_Filth! Filth! Filth!_

"That's enough Captain Kid." Law commanded.

"N-no. H-he wasn't the one. No one hurt me brother." She lied. She gave him a small smile, hoping it would do the trick. It was best to forget the past.

Taking a deep breath, Kid abruptly stood up.

"You are to stay here on the ship tonight. I am going to the castle and I will kill everyone. Since you won't tell me I will kill every breathing filth in there. One of them will be responsible. And when I find him I will hang him on the top of my ship."

She didn't like the way he talked. The way he used the word filth had made her shudder. The sadistic smile he had when he explained what he was going to do was confusing. Was this really her brother? The same brother who cried when his toy robot disappeared? Why did people need to die? Too many people died already. Why couldn't they just leave her alone!

"I'm coming with you." She said.

Kid's eyes narrowed at her statement.

"You still haven't fully healed yet. And as your doctor, I am telling you to stay on the boat." Law stated. He wasn't going to allow her to step into that castle again. A child had no place fighting an adult's battle.

"No. If she wants to come then let her." Kid said as he walked out of the kitchen.

Did he really just say that?

"I'm sorry doctor! I have to go get ready!" Hopping off of her seat, Akane ran back to her room.

* * *

><p>"Do you believe it to be wise to bring her along?" Law questioned.<p>

Both crews had hiked up the steep road to the castle. Law didn't mind the silence, but Kid didn't seem like the type to remain quiet when hunting.

"Sooner or later she will find out that I am a killer. That I enjoy what I do and that people need to be told their place. You do not go after a Kid pirate and expect to live."

"Ah. So she is an official member of your crew? I was thinking of taking her away to join my crew." Law jokingly stated.

The statement had earned him a murder glare from the red head. It was a good thing that they had the alliance. It was quite amusing to see the Devil himself get so frustrated over a little girl.

Looking back, Law spotted Akane sitting on Bepo's shoulder. Even though he said it jokingly, the Surgeon of Death meant every word. The young girl had somehow fitted herself into his crew. With her daily check ups, the doctor had gotten to know her. A few facts that he had found amusing was that she liked to read the medical books around his cabin, hated tomatoes, and treated Bepo equally. Penguin and Shachi had also gotten attached. He remembered the day when the two mechanics came crying to him holding up the confused red haired girl. She had sported a new furry white chullo hat with dark brown spots imprinted around the edge of the hat and on the ear flaps. It had been a gift that he had been meaning to give her, but it seemed that the impatient duo gave it to her instead. Penguin had cooed over her, calling her mini Law, while Shachi begged him to adopt the little girl. This had earned both mechanics a head smack from Jean Bart.

He would ask her later if she would like to join. And if she said yes, he would take her under his wing. Train her to her fullest potential and the Devil himself wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

The castle front had been left unoccupied as Law suspected. Even with the from gates locked, Kid easily pulled the lock apart.

"I will bring Akane with me. Since she knows the layout of the castle, it will be easier for me to get the medicines." Law explained.

"Do what you want." Kid said. He and Killer walked towards the opposite hallway, pace picking up as he heard the maids scream in fear. It took less than a few seconds to silence her. He knew that Akane heard the scream that he had silenced. Sooner or later she would need to be exposed.

"This is the pharmacy then, correct?" Law asked.

He really wanted her to say something. An opinion saying this wasn't the right direction or a complaint that they were going too slow. Nothing came out of the little girl. Just nods and smiles. The Heart pirates had cleared the large room of all supplies. The only thing left behind had been the medical books. There would be no need to bring something he had full knowledge on. His attention soon turned towards the red haired girl. He fully knew that the screams were intentional. Kid wanted to set his message straight to Akane, who in return didn't react. She continued to lead the crew. And now, she still ignored the screams coming from the other side of the hallway. Instead she occupied herself with a small book.

"What are you reading Red?" Law questioned.

He could see the little girl quickly reacting to his new nickname for her. Her cute blush had pushed him further into pinching her cheeks.

"I'rve fruond a brook." She tried to say.

"A book you say? What's it about?" He asked. The fact that she let this happen had amused the captain even further.

"Mineerawls."

He continued on with the pinching until he was stopped by the newly formed Captain slapping away his hand. How rude.

"It says that almost everything has minerals. Is that true doctor?" She question.

"That depends really. I have some books back on my ship that I can give to you."

Akane gave the Surgeon of Death a smile before running to catch up with the rest of the crew.

She wasn't blind to what was in front of her. Bepo had tried to go the other direction, the less bloody one that led away from the dead bodies.

"A-akane look over here!" Bepo cried out.

It didn't matter. She passed by the furry bear, closing in on her brother. She could see his figure hovering over a frightened maid.

"Enough brother." She softly whispered out.

"Tell me where they are! Tell me where those bastards are hiding!" Kid roared out.

The maid cried out in fear. Kid quickly threw the useless maid across the dining room.

"Enough." She stated. Her bare feet padded against the tiles as she caught up to her brother, who decided to rip apart the room. She stood behind him as the walls started to curve inwards.

"They aren't here Mr. Eustass." Law declared from across the room. "But there is something you will find interesting if you follow me."

Somehow, Akane figured out that they would've left. To her surprise, she felt relieved. Taking a breath, she followed the doctor to the next room over.

"It seems that the nobles seemed to have left behind a room full of devil fruits."

_"Devil fruits?"_ Akane thought.

The sadistic smile had reappeared on Kid.

"Seems that we hit the jackpot." Kid claimed. He held the oddly shaped fruit in his hand.

Looking up to see the fruit, Akane gasped.

"Don't touch the fruits!" She yelled out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: THIS IS IMPORTANT TO READ! <strong>

**I hope I didn't lose any of you guys! For some reason I cannot see Akane without a hat anymore. The whole scene is actually written last minute (really last minute like right before I publish it.) **

**I really love Law, Kid, and Ace. I don't think I've mentioned this, but the story can go anywhere. Akane can stay with Kid or go with a different crew. I haven't decided. And yes, Ace will show up later. :) **


	9. Chapter 9

Akane gave a small hop before knocking the fruit out of her older sibling's hand. Using the soles of her feet, she stomped on the fruit. Instead of a pile of yellow mush that was expected, only grey mush was left on the floor when she finished. Both captain's stared at her with a look of bewilderment.

"These aren't real fruits. Not anymore. They are bad. Really really bad." Akane stated.

"Now that you mention it, something about these fruits look off. Looky here captain." Penguin explained. He had pointed out the odd swirling of the fruit to the lazy eyed captain.

Instead of perfectly made swirls, these fruits had an odd ring pattern.

"Oh? It seems that we have discovered a room full of artificial devil fruits." Law explained.

"A devil fruit is a devil fruit. Let's take them." Kid argued.

"No! They will kill you. I saw other people eat them. It would make objects powerful, but it doesn't help humans. It kills them." Akane pleaded.

Kid sighed before walking out to lean on a door frame. "Whatever."

"Out of curiosity, were the fruits in the glass jars in the hall given power?"

"Wait what jars?" Kid questioned.

"The one's that you've obviously ignored." Law stated.

Akane hesitated before answering the dark doctor.

"Yes."

"And what kind of powers did it give out?"

Again, she had waited. It was suppose to be a secret between the striped shirt doctor and her.

Law noticed the distress on her face and leaned down to get on the same level as the girl. He gave a small smile while giving a friendly pinch to her cheeks. His yellow eyes stared into her brown ones, reassuring her that it was okay.

"The ones in the hall are all time-time fruits. The castle has it spread out. It stops anything in the castle from aging." She explained.

_"So that's why she looks so young."_ Law thought.

According to the physical he had administered, Akane was ten years old. Though her physique matched the one of a six year old. The insanity of the experiments she must have gone through was incomprehensible. Even he had some standards on experimentation. He scoffed at the thought.

"Red, I brought you here to show you bloodshed. To show you the power I have gained when I left our island. It's a shame that the only thing here are lowly maids for me to kill. From here on out, the bloodshed will get worse. Next time, I will rip the heads off of these so called nobles and put it in a jar for you to keep." Kid gave Akane his signature smile.

Using one arm, Kid swooped Akane off the floor. The force had caused her hat to shadow her eyes, which he easily fixed. He didn't like the way it looked on her. Her ruby red hair that he loved so much was covered by the disgusting furry hat. He had tried several times to throw out the hat, but it somehow always found it's way back onto her head. He had suspected a certain sand creature that was currently missing in action.

He happily patted her head as she gave him a small smile. She understood now. This was his way of showing her that he cared. Though it still didn't change the fact that he killed people. This was no different from what their father did. And she loved her father, so if this was to be expected from her also, she would endure.

Using her small hands, Akane wrapped her small arms around Kid's neck. The night had taken a toll on her and the instant contact had put her to sleep. Captain had taken the moment to pop out of Kid's coat pocket.

"Where the fuck did you come from!?"

The little sand creature ignored the confused captain and jumped up to make himself comfortable on Akane's shoulder. This had earned him a glare from the red haired captain.

"Che, rude manners will get you killed. Killer, let's go. Nothing important is left for us. Don't forget to tell Heat to burn down the building."

Killer gave his captain a nod before jumping out the closest window to get a head start.

"Hey! We're still here you know!" Penguin yelled out.

Kid had forgotten about the other crew.

"Keep your fucking voice down." Kid snapped. He had turned away from the Heart pirates while tucking the sleeping girl with his fur coat.

Before he could say anything else, the mechanic had a wrench thrown at his head.

"WHAT THE F-" Penguin muffled out.

His scream was muffled by the fur on Bepo's stomach. Law had made sure of that.

"I'm sorry!" Bepo apologized.

"It's not your fault!" The crew said in unison.

"I suggest that you refrain yourself from hitting a member from my crew Eustass." Law said.

"Oi, that was his fault for being so damn loud." Kid countered.

The bickering went on until both captains made their way to their respected ships.

* * *

><p>Kid had waited for Killer and Heat on the gothic styled deck. He still held in girl close under his fur coat. From his ship, he could see the far away flames, lighting up the night sky.<p>

"Mission complete Master Kid." Heat said as he climbed up the side latter.

"All valuables have been stored in the safe, Kid." Killer mentioned.

Kid gave a curt nod to his first mate before heading inside. Quickly, Kid made his way into his cabin. The dimly lit room calmed him considerably. The small rush that ran through his heart from the castle hunt wasn't enough. He wanted more. Finding the castle empty of nobles had disappointed him. The fake fruits Law had discovered disappointed him. Having no competition disappointed him. The only thing that hadn't disappointed him was the little bundle in his arms. She hadn't given into fear. She didn't cry like he expected her to. Then again, he expected a lot of things from the little red haired girl. Mostly good, with the occasional bad.

"Always keep your head held high, like a true Kid pirate." Kid said to himself. Those had been the last words their father had told him, before his father left for the New World.

Captain pushed the fur blanket from the bed, allowing Kid to gently place the little girl on the bed. The sand soldier quickly pulled the fur blanket back on the girl, only leaving a little pocket space for him to snuggle into.

Kid gave the small creature a grunt. He didn't know if it was out of thanks or annoyance, either way it was some sort of response.

Kid sighed softly as he stripped off his gear. His mind wandered back to the auctioning house. At the time, the small girl in the auctioning house was not waiting for his return. She was waiting to serve her new master. He cringe at the newly made fact.

She had also traveled with an unknown doctor for who knows how long. He would never forgive the doctor though. If there paths would ever cross, he would make sure to wring his neck.

Her connection to Fire Fist was the most intriguing. Having connections to the second commander would bring benefits. How she got recaptured was still a mystery to him. He would need to ask her later.

His thought was broken by the light snore coming from the bed. Akane shuffled under the blanket, kicking it in the process. The girl rolled around till she laid comfortably on her side. Her back now faced him. Even in the dark room, he could make out the brand on her back.

They hurt her.

And those who hurt a Kid, would pay dearly.

He smirked at the thought.

* * *

><p>Akane had stared at the pathway in front of her. It was a simple dirt road surrounded by tall bamboo. The shade given off from the bamboo had nicely cooled her off. It would be nice to come here with her brother and the Doctor Law. Maybe Bepo would eat some of the bamboo.<p>

She giggled at the thought.

The pathway in front of her was shorter than she expected. What waited at the end of it, was what surprised her. A small shabby shrine that was covered in moss stood proudly in front of her. The stone shrine had two animals on each of the ends. The tiger on the left held a cracked bowl out in front of it with its mouth closed tightly, while the dog on the right carried one in it's mouth. They both were cute in her opinion. Using the pads of her fingers, Akane gently pushed away the moss growing on the two stones. With both stones clean, she spotted the tiny letter etched into the bowls.

"Off-er-ing." She read out loud.

"You want me to give you something?" She asked.

No answer came back.

Looking around, she spotted mushrooms growing a couple of feet away. Quickly getting to her feet, she ran to the mushroom pile. It was a purple mushroom plant that had green swirls on top of it. It was the same mushroom from Law's book.

"Do not pick it. Dig under the roots." She remembered.

Using her nails, she dug under the roots.

_"Thank you for the offering."_

_"Offering."_

The voices had startled the girl from digging any further. Pivoting around, she stared at the two stone animals.

_"We were waiting for you, child._" The lion said.

_"Child._" The dog repeated.

"W-who are you?" The girl questioned.

The question went unanswered as the two circled around the girl.

_"We were waiting. You are here now. And we are here to protect."_ The lion proclaimed.

_"Protect!"_ The dog repeated again.

"I don't understand. I don't need protection." Akane responded.

_"Not you, child."_ The lion said.

_"Child!"_

"Is this a dream?" Her own voice had started to echo the question.

_"This is a dream, child. Now wake up."_ The lion replied.

The two circling animals had sped up around her. Both jumped in the opposite direction of one another. The jumps were beautiful yet playful and it reminded the girl of a dance that she learned from Ace. Lost in her own thought, Akane didn't notice the shift in direction of the stone dog until it was too late. The ground vibrated from the sudden impact from the two animals. Instead of a collision, the stone animals had morphed together. The newly morphed animal slammed into the girl.

_"Wake up!"_ They both yelled out.

* * *

><p><strong>:D another chapter done! More is revealed about Akane! And we see some new development with Kid and Law. <strong>

**Know who Akane was talking to? Because I sure do! It just has more to do with her mystery devil fruit~ Be sure to comment, review, leave whatever your heart desires~** I'm happy to answer your questions without spoiling. As you can see, my story drifted away from the canon storyline. Though I will write about Impel Down and so on in my own fashion. I'm even thinking of adding the Punk Hazard arc, but that's up to you guys! ****

**Velonica14: Woah! I'm flattered that you've read it so many times!  
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**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Yes! There will be plenty of Akane spoiling from Law and company!  
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**waterflygirl: I love her hat!~ And you can expect Ace to show up. Er well, you can expect Akane to show up at where Ace is at! **

**Man I am writing this at 4 in the morning, so I apologize for any errors. I shall fix if I find any! **


	10. Chapter 10

Akane awoke to the nudge of Captain by her side. From the time he was created, Akane felt a connection to the sand being. Captain would always wake up early and would be irritated if the girl didn't wake up at the same time. He would always wake her up at the crack of dawn. She could barely see the light seeping through the dark curtains.

Carefully, Akane slipped around the covers. She kept her eyes on her brother as she tip toed her way out of the room with Captain on her shoulder.

Her brother needed to sleep in for once. If Luffy's cure for more energy was food and Law's cure for energy was reading, she concluded that Kid's cure was sleeping. It seemed to work for her since she felt so much energy this morning.

"Yosh, today's breakfast will be omelet rice Captain. We still have the leftover rice and lots of eggs!" She announced.

Captain gave a silent approval to the little girl.

Taking the eggs out of the large fridge, Akane began to crack the eggs into a glass bowl. She tossed in whatever spices she could find as Captain stirred the mixture. She remembered how her mother use to make omelet rice for them when Kid disappeared. He would often leave for days without telling her. Somehow he would always return on the days their mother made omelet rice. The scars and bruises he came in with didn't go over with her well. They had lived close to town but, the danger of the surrounding forest had still been there. Her mother often told her that Kid went off to look for his mother, that Kid and Akane only had the same father.

To this day, Akane didn't understand why Kid was searching for his mother when she was always at home. She still didn't understand what her mother meant. How could siblings only be half related? Maybe Law would know.

With the flip of the hot pan, Akane slid the last of omelet rice on the table. The job was much easier between two people instead of just herself. The table had been filled edge to edge with the yellow goodness, each having there own little ketchup design. In her opinion, the one that looked like her brother was the best one. The kitchen was a mess but that was something that didn't matter much to her at the moment.

"I think we made too many, Captain." Akane stated.

Before Akane could get another word out, Captain was out the door with a plate in each hand. Catching on to what he was doing, Akane quickly placed as many plates as she could on her arms and head. Both paced themselves as they got off the gothic deck.

The sky had been a mixture of blues and purples. She glanced up at the few stars that remained in the sky as the sun slowly rose.

"This was a great idea Captain! Now everyone can try our omelet rice!" Akane quickly sped up her pace to the yellow submarine. It wasn't hard to balance all the dishes on her. This had been one of a handful of things she was thankful to have gained while enslaved. She remembered the small competitions she would have with the other kitchen workers. Whoever could carry the most plates to the table was declared the kitchen winner for the week. The competition soon stopped after they had been caught by the maids. She never did see the other workers there again.

"Oi! Up here!" She heard someone call out.

She couldn't help but wave when she spotted Shachi on the deck of the submarine.

"Hey! Akane up here!" Penguin waved frantically.

She didn't have time to respond to him. Her body suddenly pushed itself forward before disappearing. With a blink from her brown eyes, she had been in the exact same spot Penguin had been in. Looking over the railings, she could see Penguin yelling about how it wasn't fair that their captain did that.

"Boo." Law whispered.

Hearing the noise so close to her ear had frightened the girl into throwing the dishes into the air.

"Not the food!" Sachi yelled as he grabbed several of the plates. "Haha… safe… food… good food." He cried to himself.

Turning his head, he found one omelet rice splattered on the wooden deck. With some sniffling and rubbing of his eyes, he gave a salute to the single omelet rice that lost its battle with gravity.

Giving a sigh of relief at the saved plates, Akane turned to see Law casually eating the omelet rice that was still balanced on the girls head. Looking up, she saw the doctor giving her a casual wave.

Even if she wanted to, she couldn't blame the doctor for having fun. Kid did it all the time and as long as no one got hurt, she would be okay.

"Is it good?" She asked.

Law could see how happy the girl was over the eaten omelet. He couldn't just say it was good, that would be an understatement and just offending.

"Hm.." He said.

He took another bite as he pretended to think about if it was good or not. He took the spoon out of his mouth and placed it back on the empty plate.

"It wasn't good at all." He said.

The comment had visibly alarmed the girl. Her shoulders sagged slightly at his words.

"Oh…" She responded.

"AHHHH! AKANE NO IT'S REALLY GOOD. SEE! I'M EATING MY SECOND PLATE!" Sachi yelled out as he stuffed his face.

"Hey! I want some too!" Penguin voiced in from below the deck, still trying to climb up the submarine.

"He's wrong Akane." Law said as he kneeled down to her level. "The food wasn't really good. Never let yourself believe that your food is 'really good'.The food you made was astounding."

Her frame popped back up at the new compliment.

"As-tound-ing. That's a good word?" She questioned.

"A very good word." Law said. He silently laughed at the irony of his own words.

"Law! I found something as-tound-ing too!" She chirped.

"Oh? And what was it that you found?" He asked as he led her to the examination room she became so accustomed too. He could hear Penguin sob as he closed the door. Something about how there was no more food for him. Law rolled his eyes at the idiocy of his crew.

Sitting down on the heightened examine table, Akane began to tell Law about her recent dream as he took off the last of the bandages wrapped around her forearm.

Law absorbed the story carefully as he applied ointment. He would need to look into whatever he could find on these lion dog hybrids.

"And they said they would help me protect! I think they are trying to help from here." She said, pointing to her heart.

What an interesting place she had pointed to. The heart.

"Why the heart?"

"Cause that's where they jumped into. That's when I woke up." She explained.

Law gave a nod to the girl, listening as he finished his examination.

"Well it seems that your wounds no longer require any bandaging. They shouldn't hurt anymore. And if they do, tell me so I can treat it." He explained.

So much improvement had happened in the short few weeks. It was nice to see the child genuinely smile after the torment she had gone through. The Red Devil did have his bright moments. She deserved much more than what she received. Revenge may not have room in her heart but, he knew he had much space in her place.

Jumping off the table, Akane stretched out her short arms. Ever since the bandages have been placed, her movement felt constricted. Being able to move her arms outwards had greatly improved her overall mood.

"Thank you doctor! I have to go now! Brother should be up by now. I gotta go tell him my dreams!" She gave a quick hug to his legs before running out the door.

"The heart huh? What an amusing muscle..."

* * *

><p>By the time she stepped into the galley on the gothic ship, the room had been cleaned and empty of food. She spotted Wire putting the dishes back into the cupboard.<p>

"Oh… Um. Thank you, sir." She said from the doorway. Even with the weeks spent wandering around the ship, she never did run into her brother's other crew members. The deck was always empty unless Kid would call in a meeting. It was very different compared to Law and Luffy's ship. Both captains seem to have crew members wandering around almost all hours of the day.

Akane gave the tall man a slight bow, unsure with how to talk to the man. She was surprised when Wire passed her and patted her head.

"It's Wire. No need for the formalities." He stated.

She couldn't help but smile at the oddly dressed man.

With the kitchen clean and everyone full, Akane made her way to her Kid's room. If he would allow it, maybe she would visit Luffy. She did promise Sanji that she would come by for dessert.

Opening the door, she found the room dark and empty. The bed had not been made and Kid's usual accessories were missing from the dresser.

"He must be in the office." She muttered.

The way to the small office was one that she often avoided. The hallways were always dark and the floor was always freezing against her bare feet.

Quietly, she tip toed her way across the narrow hallway. The light coming from under the door alerted the girl. The door was ajar allowing the voices to flow out. It was strange to hear her brother whispering. He was a loud man who always wanted everyone around to hear him. Curiosity got the better of her, so she stuck her herself against the wall near the door.

"There's a war coming here Kid." Killer tried to explain.

"Do you think I don't know that?" Kid retorted. "The ship is coated and we leave tomorrow. Our agreement with straw hat and Law is over once sunrise hits."

"Do you think it's wise to not let Akane know of our plan?"

Kid leaned on the table, his hands crossed together in thought.

"It's better for her to be left out of the loop." Kid stated.

"Why is it better for me to be left out?!" Akane cried out.

The door had swung open to reveal the distressed red haired girl.

"Shit." Killer said.

It was a shock to hear his sister shout at him. Never had he heard her raise her voice.

Taking a deep breath Kid began explaining, "Your friend Firefist is going to be executed the day after tomorrow. We all know Luffy is prepared to leave tonight."

"We have to help then." Akane said softly, backing slowly away.

"We can't"

"But we have to!"

"I said no!" He yelled out. He had slightly lost control of his temper. The table he had been leaning on, shattered across the room.

"Calm yourself!" Killer shouted, stepping in between him and Akane.

His choice of action was instantly regretted as he looked at Akane. She wasn't frightened of his action. Instead, her eyes looked tired, as if she had seen this many times before. Her stance was stiff and unmoved.

Kid's face stayed leveled. "This isn't our fight. My job isn't to help them. Only idiots are participating in the upcoming fight."

"He's my friend, brother. We don't abandon nakama." She said thoughtfully.

He heard her words. The frightening true words.

"We leave at sunrise." Kid announced.

Kid narrowed his brown eyes on the girl. He didn't want to make her upset. But he was captain, and his priorities came first. There was too much risk in going against the whole Navy.

"That wasn't fair for her, Kid." Killer spoke as they went up the stairs.

"Well life isn't fair Killer. It's kill or be killed."

He would talk to her in the morning. Right now, all he wanted was to go to bed. He would need to wake up early to buy a new desk before leaving.

* * *

><p>If her brother wouldn't help then that was his problem. She stayed in the room empty room for a while. That's what she would do when her master made a tantrum. It was her duty to clean up the mess left behind. Even though Kid had told her multiple times that she didn't need to clean up anymore, she would do it out of habit. Only when the floor was left gleaming did she leave. The moon was already high in the sky when she got off the deck. No one would see her in the dark. The anchor was already up on Thousand Sunny, which meant that Luffy would be leaving soon. Using the sand around, Akane pushed the ground under her. With some minor wrist movements, a staircase was made in front of her. The control she had over the sand still amazed her. It felt more like an instinct than thought to actually call her powers. It was still a struggle to control smaller minerals around her like the ones found in metal, but rocks and boulders had given her no trouble.<p>

_"Protect!"_ The voices in her mind shouted.

Her nervousness shattered as the sand gave her a final push onto the deck of Thousand Sunny. "I'm an idiot then." Akane stated.


End file.
